new HKUST chief SHOWS vERVE by TOPPING VOTE COUNT IN npc RACE

Wallis Wang

Renowned neuroscientist Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, who just took on the role of president of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is also "Queen of Votes" with the highest number of votes in the election of Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress yesterday.

Of 42 candidates who ran, 36 were chosen by 1,273 members of the electoral conference to be Hong Kong deputies to the Chinese legislature.

The 36 new delegates will take office in March.

All 15 incumbents seeking another term retained their seats, including Ip who won 1,254 votes. Ip, a world-renowned molecular neuroscientist, became the first female president of HKUST in October.

Others who succeeded in seeking another term included lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok, Brave Chan Yung, Stanley Ng Chau-pei, Dennis Lam Shun-chiu and Maggie Chan Man-ki.

Solicitor Maggie Chan yesterday said she will contribute to national development in her second term. She will also use her legal knowledge to help enhance Hong Kong's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services center.

Twenty-one new faces were elected, with first-timer Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, a legislator and the Hong Kong Olympic Committee vice-president, received 1,248 votes to garner the friendly monicker of "King of Votes."

Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said she was honored to be elected as an NPC deputy, adding she has collected opinions from various sectors and pledged to serve the community.

Asked whether she would compete for the position of National People's Congress standing committee delegate, Lee said she was leaving that up to the central government. "The NPC standing committee delegate is a very important position that shows candidates must gain trust from the central government and various sectors and also have strong comprehensive abilities," she said.

"I believe that for such an important position, the central government will have its own considerations and my personal intention is not important," Lee added.

Hong Kong's outgoing NPC standing committee delegate Tam Yiu-chung said all 36 elected NPC deputies were excellent and that he believes one of them can become one of the over 170 new NPC standing committee delegates next year.

The six candidates who ended up losing in the election are Federation of Trade Unions vice president Tse Oi-hung, former NPC standing committee member Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai's son Andrew Fan Chun-wah, Memorigin Watch chief executive William Shum Wai-lam, Hong Kong Artists Association chairman Lam Tian-xing, Po Leung Kuk chairman Daniel Chan Ching Yan and lawyer Edwin Cheng Kwok-kit.

Tse thanked the electoral conference members who nominated and voted for her, saying the election was a good platform for her to communicate with them and seek further collaboration.

Although she failed to be elected, Tse said she will continue to work hard to serve the people of Hong Kong.